hand-painted amazingness

So there's this theory about culture shock that we were introduced to during out orientation (that we have, since then, introduced to our students as well), that separates culture shock into 5 stages...stage 1 "everything is great! fantastic! nothing can go wrong!!"...stage 2 "i hate my life, this sucks, nothing works in this country"...stage 3 "i'm starting to get more comfortable, really enjoying my surroundings, starting to feel like i'm part of the community"...stage 4 "why can't things be easier like they are at home?" and stage 5 "I don't want to leave!!!" 

I think it's safe for me to say that I'm on a bangladesh high, firmly placed within stage 3 right now.  I've started a running (jogging) club and this morning was our first 'run'...we walked to a nearby grassy field, stretched, walked/jogged for 10 minutes, and then walked back.  There were about 20 girls who showed up, pretty amazing for a friday morning at 7am, and they all seemed to be happy just to be doing some sort of exercise.  

After spending the rest of the morning working on my midterm...always a fun job...Angela, Jill and I had been invited to a student's house because we continuously admire her GORGEOUS clothes.  Everytime we ask where she got them, she answers that her father handpainted the designs (did i mention her dad's a professional artist in Bangladesh and art teacher at Dhaka University?).  This led to an invite for a private lesson --- typical of Bangladeshi hospitality we were fed the whole time we were there, and were invited back any time we pleased.  Her father was amazing and not only showed us much of his work and many of his handpainting techniques, but he took the opportunity to teach us about bangladeshi designs and the art of handpainting.  When he finishes the artwork, we're going to have the fabric made into tops. and i can not wait to show 'em off.  

We had to cut our visit short to get back for meetings at the Academy and we had a dinner/game night planned with some of the Access Academy/AUW staff at the University's guesthouse.  It'd been a really long time since i played a full-out game of taboo, and the addition of several bangladeshi players made it all the more interesting. 

so i'm tired. and really happy. and loving bangladesh tonight.